CHAPTER 11 is here! I posted a bit earlier that I said, but I had to. I have places to be. I also added my 'thoughts' on recent Marvel developments below – I didn't want to remove it. Ha.

I just wanna rant a bit because I just found out Wolverine put up a school – the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning!

"Wolverine certainly has unorthodox ideas," said Lowe. "The name of the school, for one. He's the one who named it and I can't imagine Cyclops will be happy when he learns."

You know what? Wolverine can suck it. Go to hell, Logan. I hate you. Who do you think you are? You just like Jean because she's reminiscent of a girl who saved your damn life. WOLVERINE ISN'T A GOOD MAN. HE JUST APPEARS TO BE ONE.

Plus, there's a hint of Phoenix returning – FOR REAL. I wanted Jean to come back, but I certainly hope not now! Seriously, if she came back now, tell me where she'll go: Jean Grey School for Higher Learning or Utopia? I hope it's Hope who's Phoenix – not Jean. But trust me on this, Marvel is going to put Jean back because they hate me. That's how my luck goes.

MARVEL IS RUINING THE X-MEN.

CHAPTER 11

Logan's body had been laying there for a long time now. It didn't move an inch. This poses a problem. Because Logan always had his healing powers, everyone thought he was unstoppable.

Warren ran to Logan's side. Storm followed him. "Can you…Heal him?"

"I don't think so, Ororo… He's torn up pretty bad."

"We need to get him home." Kitty started to cry.

"The jet's trashed – and his bones are heavy… "

"Warren, Rogue and Storm, take him – get him home as fast as you can." Cyclops orders. "If you're tired… Take turns. I'm sorry – you can't stop. Just get him some help. Someone contact the Professor and tell him to take an aircraft and meet them. Time is of the essence."

"We understand, Scott. C'mon, girls." Warren, Rogue and Ororo took Logan's flesh and bones home. It was a gruesome sight. His flesh was literally off his bones. The area where it lay was literally all covered in blood. Logan had never been taken down like this. Whether he'll heal with what's left was uncertain, and this time it didn't seem as though he could make it.

"How about Sophie? Is she dead?"

"Yes." Kurt checked on her. Sophie's body was an ash pile. "It's as though she was dead for years now."

"C'mon. We'll need to get home."

Everyone looked at their leader as if to question his feelings for the teammates that fell today. They knew at the back of their minds they had to go, but they couldn't help but think about what just happened. As usual, Scott had to be the stronger of all of them. He had to think for the good of everyone.

"What good will that do us if we stay here and make sad faces? We need to move. I know what you're all thinking. I'm sorry. I really am. We lost a friend. One is on his way home to see if he can get better. We need to be there for him. I hate to be the bad guy here, but we can't give this much thought now. I'm sure law enforcements are making their way here and I don't want the X-Men here when they do. We need to get home."

"How will we get home? Like I said, all of our aircrafts are fried and Professor's using the other one to pick up Wolverine…."

Scott sighed and uttered only one word, "Bus."

It was a particularly odd sight to see the X-Men all cramped in one bus. Some people gave them mean looks and others just stared. Seeing as the others were bruised, obviously people would stare. But they had no choice. They were sure that whoever is back home is needed to help Xavier heal Wolverine. The ride seemed like forever to them. Everyone was feeling awkward.

When they got home, they rushed to the infirmary. They were still working on saving Logan. Hank even went it to help and so did Kitty. They were told that it would take longer than expected and they had to do more procedures. All the others could do was wait. Scott spent this time helping Jean rest. She slept for an hour now. While she was sleeping, Scott went out to the balcony for some air. He sat down and let out a heavy sigh. He rubbed his temples with his hand and sulked for a while. The others could see him, though Scott didn't know it. The others felt bad for even questioning his feelings and loyalty to his teammates. Scott felt terrible. He was so close in uniting all mutants, but he was also slowly losing the ones who stood with him and helped him. They were still being judged. People would still think of them as monsters. Scott wondered if it will all get better. He remembers the time he and Logan went on a mission a few years back.

*FLASHBACK* (EN: This is actually a moment in the X-Men Evolution Comics. I know it's from a different timeline/story, but it seemed to fit the moment so well.)

Logan and Scott just finished helping some civilians. Scott was just punched in the face by a guard after Scott had helped a little girl.

"FREAK!" the guard had said as he threw a punch across Cyclops' face.

"I don't know how they can allow those things to just walk on the street!" Another civilian yelled. She was referring to Scott. She had seen him use his powers to stop a robbery.

On the ride home, Logan was driving and Scott was holding an ice pack to his cheeks.

"Folks back there were pretty hard on you…"

"That's all right. They were just a little freaked. I probably would have been if I were in their shoes, too. But it'll get better. We have to believe that."

"And what if it never does?" Logan asks.

"Then we never stop trying. That's all."

*FLASHBACK ENDS*

"I can't believe I learned a little something from my younger self…" Scott shook his head, a smile appearing on his face.

"What was that?" Jean stood by the door.

"Hey, you're awake."

"Yup. What were you thinking of?" Jean sat on his lap. Scott's smile widened when she did this.

Scott just looked straight into her eyes. She did the same. It was like she saw through his glasses. Jean was the only one who could do that.

"I told you I'd come back."

"I'm glad you did. I was afraid I was never going to be to do this again." Jean felt his lips on hers. She placed her arms around his neck and held him closer. They were getting comfortable and with the psychic rapport, they shared every second of it.

'Jean?Isthatyouinmyhead?' Scott sent to her.

'Yes. We have our rapport, still. You don't mind, do you?'

'No,Idon't…' Scott remembered a time when Emma did the same to him. Emma had looked around inside his head before when they were getting intimate.

Jean pulled back from their kiss. She got away from him. 'You'rethinkingofher?'

"Jean, don't freak out over this…"

"You're thinking of Emma while you're with me! Why shouldn't I freak out?"

"I can't help where my mind wanders, Jean. Even Emma understood that though she had her doubts about our relationship."

"Well, I'm not Emma, Scott. I'm not. What is it with you? Can't you stay with just one person?"

"You don't mean that. You don't think that way..."

"Well, what am I supposed to think? This is our moment, Scott. Ours. For once, we're in control! If only you could see that." Jean walked away only to be stopped when Scott calls her out.

"Don't walk away from me, Jean!" He demanded as he followed her and stopped her.

"Leave me alone, Scott!"

"No!" Scott grabbed her by the arm. "This is our problem, Jean! We don't face our problems. We run away from them. Your temper always gets the best of you!"

"My temper! Well you keep your feeling wrapped up inside! You never open up! Thank goodness I'm a telepath, otherwise I wouldn't know who you are! I'm tired of being the one who always tells you how I want things to go. You – you of all people should know how I feel…"

Scott lets go of Jean and replies, "I know. Can't you see? I'm working that. I want to make things work between us – I'm swallowing my pride and I'm begging you to work this out with me now. And I mean right now. I can't stand to waste another minute of our time."

Jean looks away to hide the tear coming down her cheek. Scott nonetheless puts his hand gently on her face and wipes the tear away with his finger. He tilts her head so that he could look at her eyes again. When her eyes met his, he knew that this relationship is going to work – no matter what.

Back at the infirmary, they had just finished on examining Logan. Hank and Charles exited the room to be greeted be Kitty and Peter, who stayed and helped while the others had left as suggested by the professor. They had put Logan back together in the hopes that his healing factor would kick in and do the rest. It's been hours since that procedure and the time has come to announce the news.

"So, how is he?" Kitty got up and asked.

Hank gave her a saddened look. "Kitty, we tried our best…"

"No….It couldn't be…." Peter hugged Kitty to comfort her.

"He's dead. Logan's dead."

"Are you sure? His healing factor - -"

"- It didn't work… His bones were separated from his body and his organs took a beating. He could start to heal only if his body knew what to do, but his body was literally split in two and his healing didn't know how to work. His body couldn't last without the healing, so when it didn't happen, he died… It seemed he just shut off…"

There his body lay at the operation table, lifeless. Phoenix had done its job. She had found a way to kill the unstoppable Wolverine. After all those enemies that include Magneto, Juggernaut and countless of others, Wolverine had fought his last battle.

Hank and Charles gathered everyone at the common room to deliver the sad news. The women started crying and the men held back their tears. A great ally was lost today. Scott stood at the far end of the room alone. Scott hated Logan to an extent. He flirted with his wife, pushed him and defied Scott's leadership numerous times. Yet, there was a part of Scott that wanted Logan's approval – his respect. If only Scott knew what went on Logan's head…

*FLASHBACK* (EN: Prelude to Schism issue #4)

Logan was looking at Scott and stared him down. He did this from afar so that he wouldn't be noticed. He was having a moment with his thoughts on Scott.

I never believed we'd see this day. I was wrong. See, it's not always what you believe. You were the one who believed the most. You were the one who told us, who said it out loud. It was you, Scott. I've been to the end of the universe with you. Been your rival. Been your friend. We've seen some rough times and had a few good ones. But you were the one who brought us here.

Logan turned to look at Scott once more as he thought to himself, Thequestionis:what'snext?

*FLASHBACK ENDS*

Being a powerful telepath, it was hard not to hear when someone was thinking out loud. When Jean came back to the institute, Logan's thoughts were screaming at her and those memories are what she saw and heard. She'd never tell Scott since Logan probably wouldn't want her to. Logan knew his time was coming. It was a good thing he got to see all the good things they'd work for before he died.

Jean could see Scott from across the room. She gave him his privacy and let him be. She knew Scott took the deaths hard – no matter what the others thought. After what Jean had seen in both Logan and Scott's memories, she knew they had formed an odd form of a brotherhood. As for Sophie, she wasn't that close to Jean. Sophie was one of Emma's students and Jean never bothered about them much – obviously because they were under Emma's guidance. How Jean detested Emma. She stole her husband and slept with him, technically – it was a psychic affair but it still mattered to her. And yet she had to admit that Emma helped Scott grow in some ways. Scott did seem more together and open now. She rarely saw this side of him and it was Emma who pushed Scott to be this way.

The next day, they had a funeral for Logan. They had one for Sophie again, too. She deserved it. They lay her beside her sister and Emma's grave. They had changed the engraving on her tombstone, too:

SOPHIE

A HERO REBORN

A few plots away was Logan's. His plot worthy of a hero as well. His tombstone had gifts and surrounding it. It read:

JAMES 'LOGAN' HOWLETT

The ferocious Wolverine

A HERO THROUGH AND THROUGH

After the burial, one by one the X-Men left. Jean was the last to leave. Before she left, she had knelt down near the tombstone of Logan and placed a kiss on it and said, "Goodbye, Logan. I'll miss you."

Scott, however, didn't actually leave. He had gone to visit Emma's grave which was a little further from where Logan was buried. Her plot was more secluded and private than the rest. Scott stood there over her plot and began to talk to Emma.

"Hey, Ems… How are you?" Scott paused, "Well, I know you're dead, but I know you're still around watching over me. I can feel it. I know what you're thinking… I am trying to get back together with Jean… I know we've had some disagreements with that topic in the past. But I guess you knew better all along…"

*FLASHBACK*

"What do you want me to do, Scott? Pretend I don't feel your heart race when you think of Jean?"

"She's a part of me, Emma. Comes with the package, which you know."

"The woman was no good for you."

"Attacking her is never gonna - - "

"Right, right. Baseline defilement. Jean Grey is a sacred cow. At least we agree on half of that."

*FLASHBACK ENDS*

Scott felt a small breeze hit him. He let out a small chuckle. "Thanks, Emma – I knew you'd understand… I love her, Emma. I loved you. You were my rock for a long time… I guess I'm just here trying to explain things to you because I thought I needed to… Thinking back, I figured you knew this day would come. I'll be back soon and I promise to stop by and visit often – I miss you, Emma."

Scott left moments later and saw Jean waiting for him. He walked towards her and she gave him a hug. "Did you enjoy your talk with a certain White Queen?"

"…" Jean sighed. "I didn't want you to know this… I know she heard you because I know what it feels like – to be dead…to still hear people…"

"When did - -"

"When you were about to be married to Madelyne… You spoke to me beyond the grave. I heard it – every word you said – I heard it."

Scott stopped and took a couple of steps away from Jean. "You did?"

*FLASHBACK*

The day of Scott and Madelyne's wedding had arrived. A few moments before the ceremony, we see Scott Summers standing by Jean Grey's grave, holding a bouquet of roses.

"I know your body isn't here, Jean. It's scattered molecular dust on the moon. But I like to think your spirit rests here, near where you were born, in this land you loved. I loved you, Jean. I love Madelyne. I'm glad she isn't you."

Scott placed the roses by her grave. "What we had was magic - - I'll treasure it always. Now, Madelyne and I have a chance to create our own magic, to make what is unique and special as what was. I hope you understand. Goodbye,Jean.Farewell… My heart."

*FLASHBACK ENDS*

Jean faced Scott and took his hand. "You needn't explain, Scott. It was the past – one which I am willing to forget – Only if the future includes you and I being together…"

"Jean, I never really accepted that you were gone. I couldn't. Now that you're here, I wouldn't have it any other way. I want you. I want to be with you."

"Then let's go… "

"Where?"

"Back home – You're going to prove how much you love me… How's that sound."

"Sounds good to me." He smiled and they headed back to the house, hand in hand.